Haunted
by Gothic-Romantic99
Summary: L will always be there to remind Light that he'll never truly leave, and will continue to haunt his thoughts until Light is defeated. Rated for horror. Major spoilers for the first season!


I do not own Death Note.

WARNING: There are major spoilers for episode 25 here! If you haven't seen it yet, then I don't recommend that you read any further. Also, this story contains death and some horror.

Edit 4/24/12: So I was looking over this story a few nights ago and was appalled at how horribly written it was. Therefore I figured some changes were in order. For the most part the plot is the same, but there are now more details, the sentences are less choppy and hopefully more fluid, and more horror has been added.

Thank you to Sashocirrione, xThe Forgotten Uchihax, Soothing Star, and L 3 for your reviews on the original draft.

Yes, that picture is my own attempt at drawing L. If you want to see the full picture, it's on my Deviantart page (same pen name).

I hope you enjoy!

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><p>The fragile body void of life was slowly losing warmth with each passing second. The brown-eyed teenager responsible of the deaths of hundreds stared into the shut eyes of his most recent success that he literally clutched in his grasp. An overwhelming pride built up within his chest, but he was not at liberty to release it, not yet, not in front of the others.<p>

Light tightened his grip on the corpse. He had to keep from smiling at the reminding thought that the once pesky detective older than himself, the only other person on par with intelligence level had fallen. Having succumbed to death's whims, L looked like a mere innocent child in the confines of an afternoon nap. Now all that remained of the investigator was a slowly decaying shell housed in the arms of his slayer.

In his last seconds of life, L recalled the night's earlier moment in which he and Kira stood out on the roof. The rain had soaked the two of them and he gazed upon the killer. From the moment L met Light it was only a matter of time until death seized him. However he had hoped to leave the earth in a more heroic manner. Ever since Light pulled that clever stunt with the fake rules, he knew it was only a matter of minutes until his demise. There was nothing he could call Light on, and all he had left was the hope of his successors. By releasing Light from suspicion, he gave the murderer permission to end his life. It was a privilege Light accepted with open arms, basking in the death of his adversary.

Light dropped the recently deceased body and began the Oscar-worthy performance. He screamed in panic for their lives, hoping to stir up a bit of a panic. Like a practiced performer, he won the fears of every other man standing there in the room. Light then yelled for the shinigami. The other members of the task force bled not only for the loss of their leader and the impending reminder of their looming deaths, but also for the young man who had just lost his best "friend." Forcing back that smirk, Light took off down the hallway.

It did not take long for the other members of the task force to catch up with the fleeing psychopath until they came upon the remains of their convenient scapegoat. Light was the first to discover the mound of sand that had become of Rem's body. With the note stuffed in his pocket he called for the others to witness the scene. Just to make sure there was no suspicion left in their hearts or minds, Light made a vow in front of the team to continue his search for Kira until L's death was avenged.

With the prize in his pocket and his face hidden from the others he took his leave. He stopped just short of his father and informed the older man that he needed some time alone to sort out L's death. Soichiro allowed his son the solitude he requested in order to "grieve" for his late friend.

Light shut the door and cackled silently to himself. It somewhat amazed him how the others were so easily fooled from the raising of the curtain until the final act. He muttered something about idiots, the returned his attention to the window. He leaned against the pane, cool from the recent downpour, and reveled in the image of the greatest threat to his plans to rule as the god of the new world taking his last breath. He had to admit that the game would not be nearly as fun anymore without a competent opponent. Nonetheless sacrifices had to be made. If anything were to happen to L, Light was the next in line to take his place. With himself at the top position, there was little for him to worry about. L was gone—forever.

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><p>The following night Light returned home. After making small talk with his mother and sister he made his way up to his bedroom. The events of the past three days had finally caught up to him and he fell face forward onto the comfortable mattress. It had been so long since he was allowed the luxury of such a soft bed without having to hear the incessant typing from an unwanted roommate. His eyes fluttered, threatening to shut permanently for the night. The corners of his lips curved upwards as a thought struck him—L would never wake from his slumber.<p>

The reminder of the detective's funeral the next morning entered into his conscious. Light groaned at having to take time out to bury his adversary, but everyone expected him there. Of course, after what he did to L, it was the least he could do to pay his final respects. The only thing that bothered him was how he would manage from keeping himself from smirking when the dirt was finally piled atop the late detective's coffin.

Kira's eyes shut. He drifted into a soft slumber. It was a peaceful sleep that was not meant to last.

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><p>A steady flow of water dripped on Light's cheek. He stirred at the unwelcomed moisture and blearily sat up. The droplets landed on his ever-perfect hair. Light groaned as he stood, his arms out by his side while trying to keep his balance. He felt as though he had been drugged. Reality sat in causing the young man to jolt as his senses took in the darkened, unfamiliar location. Most people would panic in said situation, but such was a behavior unbefitting for the new deity of Earth.<p>

In one quick motion, keeping one arm out in case it was required for self-defense, Light slipped his hand into his back pocket. The familiar texture of the notebook caressing his finger tips gave his breathing a reason to calm.

The young man began his venture into the darkness. Light kept his eyes searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary all the while retracing his thoughts as the grogginess gradually wore off. As far as he could remember he came straight home from the headquarters and without many exchanges other than simple pleasantries with the women in his family, he could only remember settling in for bed. As far as he could remember he ingested no strange items, nor inhaled anything that would have allowed him to be in such a predicament. Not once in his short lifespan could he recall a case of sleepwalking. That only left one logical option: someone had abducted him.

For once he wished he had taken Ryuk's offer of the shinigami eyes if just to find out who was behind his kidnapping. No one other than those on the task force, his family, and Misa knew of his helping with the investigation. The only other people who could have suspected him of being Kira were dead, thanks in large parts to him. Light could not help a small smirk that graced his handsome face at the thought of the fates of those who dared to oppose him. He had nothing to fear. Now that L was out of the way, there was no way anyone could pin the murders on either him or Misa. He had robbed the investigation team of their intellect when L's last breath was written into the Death Note.

Light almost muttered gratitude to Rem for her valuable service, but cackled at the thought. Even the shinigami were pawns in his plans for godhood.

Light's eyes surveyed the corridor as he continued to trek the unfamiliar location. Only the sounds of dripping water and his footsteps echoed through the tunnel. It was quiet—a bit too quiet for his liking. The temperature seemed to drop the further he walked.

Light figured he was somewhere underground. Perhaps he was kidnapped by someone who still suspected him. Perhaps it was another test from someone on the force who wanted to appease their late leader by taking his theory into consideration one last time. Maybe they were waiting for him to do something suspicious. Light smirked; he was too smart to fall for that trick.

A small light shone from a little ways down. Light picked up his pace, reaching the illuminated area within a few strides. The light illuminated from several round lamps that lined the ceiling of the tunnel.

With an frown on his face, Light continued to carefully tread the unknown location. His foot became unsteady causing him to falter and momentarily lose his balance. Light caught himself before plummeting to the unlevel ground. The genius glanced down to find himself standing in the center of electric railings. He stepped onto the nearby platform then stared about the abandoned subway station. Light wrapped his shivering arms around himself as he tried to remind himself of all the shut down train stations in and around his city. Only one line came to mind. It was a ways away from his house, but for the moment it proved to be more of any plausible hunch than he had two minutes ago.

The heavy patter of rain smacked the ground above him. Light crossed his arms tighter in a vain attempt to ward off the cold, his most recent thought surrounding his disdain for his abductors who had to choose a most uncomfortable night to carry out their plans.

One of the lamps flickered before the bulb finally gave out. Light narrowed his eyes and in that moment caught sight of the directory standing over by the wall. With a roll of his eyes, and feeling somewhat like an idiot for not checking before, he headed over to the plastic board. Squinting while trying to focus by what little light provided, his finger traced the route. At last his fingertip reached the picture of the station. Another bulb burnt out, a detail that went unnoticed by the boy. Light slightly gasped and backed away when it dawned on him the significance of the station. He lightly shook his head as the image surfaced of Ray Pember's face as he inhaled his last breath.

Light shook those thoughts from his mind. It had to be a coincidence. There was no way anyone living other than himself, Ryuk, and Misa knew who murdered the FBI agents. He had been too careful. If anyone had any information on the matter they would have contacted the authorities by now. That being unless they were afraid of what would happen if no one believed them and the chance that Kira found out afterwards. Then there was the possibility that someone planned to confront and blackmail him. It made Light consider the fact that his abductor had yet to show his face.

The mass murderer tightened his hold on his shuddering arms. Light's breath escaped in the form of fog. It would be most cruel of fate for him to come that far only to die of hypothermia. Were that the case, Ryuk would get a good laugh out of the irony.

The lamp above his head busted. Light jumped out of the way with his hand atop his head incase of any falling debris. Upon receiving immediate safety, Light leaned against the wall and tried to control his racing heart and lungs. Light felt a chuckle rising in his throat and eventually gave into the laughter. He wiped away minor beads of sweat that accumulated beneath his bangs and rested his head against the brick wall once more while attempting to formulate a plan.

Without warning all the lamps burnt out forcing Light into a realm of blackness. The already frigid air decreased to a near unbearable state. Whether it was from the frozen air or his frightened heart, Light trembled. He could only hear the sound of his shaky breath along with the rushing of blood in his ears.

When his body recovered from the initial shock, his heart still racing from remaining on guard, the area became silent. It was not the comfortable silence combined with white noise, or natural sounds that lulled one to sleep, but that deafening silence that caused one's blood to freeze. The pitch black tunnel masked all shapes and objects in view. Light stood firmly against the wall with clenched fists, daring anyone to attack him.

Suddenly soft murmurs sounded in his ear. Light turned sharply to the side to find it void of any life. A cackle echoed over in the other direction. Light sunk further into himself. He heard a man's voice whisper his name. Light swallowed then listened for the direction of the stalker. The patter of feet suddenly stopped behind him.

Light shut his eyes, not that it mattered due to being engulfed in shadows, and held his breath, listening for the expulsion of air from the possible second person. Light cursed himself for allowing himself to be in such a predicament. Even if he had the shinigami eyes, being unable to see his abductor's face rendered that ability useless. Not to mention he dare not use the notebook in the presence of another.

What felt like minutes passed and Light heard nothing other than the rain above. The brunette let out a slow breath, but kept his hands in fists as a precaution. Slender fingers brushed themselves across Light's shoulders. Hot breath caressed the back of his neck.

Light spun on his heel and launched a fist at the attacker. Sharp pain tingled through his knuckles as they collided with the brick wall. He yelped and waved his hand frantically, hissing at the throbbing sensation. He brought the injured fingers to his mouth. They would require an examination later, but for the time being young Yagami sensed they were not broken.

A soft chuckle rang out not to far from his person.

Light turned to face the direction in which he heard the laugh. "Alright, whoever you are, come out now!" he shouted.

He was answered with silence. Light glanced around for any slight movement in the sea of black. With his fists ready to attack at any moment he began to move in the direction of the previous laugh.

Light tried again, doing well to hide the stammer in his voice, "You either come out now, or I won't have any choice but to attack."

That statement was followed by another laugh. He stopped suddenly. Something about the tone of that chuckle sounded familiar.

"Who's there?" Light asked. His voice nearly cracked with that last statement. He swallowed saliva to clear away the dried pipe and added, "I don't want to hurt anyone, so show yourself."

Suddenly the station filled with the sound of genuinely amused laughter. Light was unsure whether he should be afraid or angry. No one laughed at him. He was ready to let his fist greet the face of whoever brought him there.

"Now, now, Light, it's not like you to be so hasty," a deep, dark voice spoke.

Light froze in place. There was no way he could neither mistake nor forget that voice. There was only one person who owned that voice—only—it was impossible.

"I know you didn't think you could get rid of me that easily," said the voice.

Light retreated until his back hit the wall. Blue flashes flickered about one of the burnt out lamps. The white light radiating from the lamp blinded the teen. He used his hand to block out the sudden brightness. The lamp flickered once more, dimming the light. Light glanced up and stifled a cry upon discovery the vacant space where the bulb should have been.

Refusing to wallow in the fear due to irrational findings, Light used the brightness to his advantage. He stared over to where the silhouette of a shadowy figure stood. Light squinted until he made out the structure of the being. He gasped with a hand over his mouth. The silhouette belonged to only one. The light brightened a notch revealing those infamous black eyes. Light furiously shook his head.

"No!" he gasped. "It can't—you're…" Light trailed off. He eyed for the nearest exit. He backed up towards the stairs, yet the figure did not move from that spot. Those quick eyes, however, followed the other man's every move. Light stared wide-eyed. It was not possible. He had to be hallucinating. That had to be the only explanation. The guilt of killing two innocents was affecting his sanity.

Light dashed up the staircase. The sound of rushing water filled his ears. The subway station suddenly melted away leaving him standing atop the rooftop of headquarters. The heavy rain soaked him causing his shirt to stick to his body. Everything about the current scene seemed too familiar. He wanted nothing more than to be at home, safe in his nice, warm bed.

"This is amusing, Light," said a voice from behind.

Light spun around to see L standing there in that same spot that he stood that fateful night. Just like last time the rain poured down on the world's greatest detective, but once again he seemed unaffected by it.

The two stared at each other in silence for several minutes. As usual Light found it difficult to read the emotions on L's face. The raindrops trickled down his pale face, stopping at his chin before dripping to the concrete below.

"How—how is this…how are you…this can't be…" Light ceased speaking. He stared speechless at the figure before him. If he could move his hands he would have pinched his cheek just to prove to himself that he was sound asleep.

L tilted his head to the side. Tousled, black hairs stuck to his face, not shielding those ever-watchful eyes. With hands in his jeans pockets he stepped forward. Light's gaze fell to L's bare feet. His toes collided with the water, causing the liquid to ripple. He stared back up at the detective's face. He wondered if it was possible that L never died in the first place. That was not possible. He felt L's spirit relinquish his body as he held him. Light watched as his father performed CPR on L for another ten minutes after his passing. He watched as L and Watari were embalmed by a private doctor. He stood there when L's body was placed in the casket and the lid shut for the final time as it was to be a closed-casket service.

Yet there he stood, looking no different than before. The bags under his eyes were not as pronounced as they had been in life, but other than that this man was a splitting image of the corpse they were to bury the following morning.

L made no attempt to answer Light's question. Instead he took another step forward.

"What do you want?" Light shrieked, immediately berating himself for asking such a stupid question. What else would L want but the obvious?

"Do you finally have a conscience, Kira?" L asked. He unwrapped a cherry-flavored lollipop and popped it into his mouth. Behind the paper stick, the deceased offered a rare smile at the mention of that name. He knew from the first time he met Light that this was the sole person they sought. Only it seemed as though luck was always on his side. He moved closer causing Light to step back. "Do you feel guilt? Or, like a child, do you only fear getting caught in the end?"

Light shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about," Light cried. He knew it was effortless to continue playing dumb, but even now he could not make himself confess his crimes to the great detective.

"It's senseless to lie to me now," L stated. "I cannot physically do anything to you." His grin widened. "But I will be there when my successors finally catch you."

Light shook his head as L continued to advance on him. He stumbled, realizing he was standing on the ledge of the skyscraper. His gaze landed back on the disheveled detective.

"You may have won this round, Kira, but it's not over," L said. "I may be dead, but I will never be gone."

He stepped onto the edge with Light. He lined his eyes with Light's. Never before had Light seen such fury in L's eyes. Even during the various times when they fought, L never visibly displayed anger. Light surveyed the area only to find there was nowhere to escape.

L moved closer so that their bodies nearly touched. The black holes that constituted as eyes stared into the frightened ones belonging to the living person. Even in his death he was still scrutinizing his suspect.

L lowly said, "I will be there when you are finally defeated." He removed the candy from his mouth and moved closer to the brunette. Once they were close enough L whispered into Light's ear, "And when you die, I will stand over your body the way you did mine."

Light released a whimper.

L backed away if only to see the look on Light's face.

Light shook his head and stepped off the edge. His scream evaporated into nothing as he plummeted to the concrete below. He could already make out the sounds of car horns. In just a matter of seconds he would be nothing more than slop on the highway.

Light landed hard on his bedroom floor, the blankets still tangled about his legs. He stood up and cast the sheets aside. Ryuk glanced up from where he sat at the window, munching on an apple.

Light ran a hand through his sweating hair. The clock on his desk read ten minutes after three. He was expected to attend L's funeral in eight hours. After that he was to take L's place as the head of the investigation.

"So much for a peaceful sleep," Light said as he put the blankets back on his bed.

"Oh, bad dreams?" Ryuk asked with a laugh.

Light shot him a glare.

"That answers that," the shinigami stated more to himself before returning his attention to the delectable fruit.

Light let out a sigh. There was no chance of him getting any more rest that night. He sat down at the desk and noticed the Death Note sitting out in plain view. He was about to lash out at Ryuk for moving it when he noticed something sticking out at the top.

Light pulled out what appeared to be a lollipop wrapper. Light lifted his brow and flipped to the page the plastic had marked.

He jumped up and gasped at the sight before him. Written in a handwriting that was not his, was the sentence: _Your time will come, Kira, and I will be waiting._

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><p>Oooh! Spooky! I hope you all enjoyed this story.<p>

Notes:

1) I don't know if they ever had a real funeral for L and Watari, but I like to think the other members of the task force at least offered them that respect.

2) In that episode, when L was talking to Light after they came in from the rain, it seemed as if L knew that Light was going to kill him very soon. It was as though he was certain that Light was Kira, but because of Light's underhanded trick, he had no concrete evidence. I tried to incorporate that in the beginning.


End file.
